The New York Mets activated outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the injured list. The Mets removed Taylor from the 10-day injured list and immediately slotted him into the lineup. He’s batting ninth and playing center field against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.
Taylor is Great Defensively
Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns prioritizes defense. While he was the head executive of the Milwaukee Brewers, they were annually one of the best defensive teams in the league.
It’s why, as one of the first moves he made after he got hired by the Mets, Stearns acquired Tyrone Taylor from the Brewers. Taylor is one of the fastest players in the sport, and uses that speed to be an elite center fielder.
Taylor has great range in the field. He regularly makes sprawling catches on the warning track and outfield grass. He also has one of the best arms in the league. Baseball Savant values Taylor’s outfield throwing as the third-best in MLB, behind only Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians and Brenton Doyle of the Colorado Rockies.
Defense has been an issue for the Mets recently without Taylor. The Mets committed five errors in their weekend series against the Washington Nationals and two more on Tuesday against the Cubs.
In addition, Jose Siri misplayed two balls that weren’t scored as errors Friday, and on Saturday, Cedric Mullins didn’t play the ball off the wall well, resulting in a two-run inside-the-park home run. On Tuesday, Juan Soto didn’t catch a flyball, turning it into a two-run double.
In a playoff chase where every out and run are magnified, the Mets will appreciate Taylor’s steadiness in the outfield and on the bases.
Some Offensive Issues
For as good as Taylor is defensively and on the bases, he doesn’t provide much with the bat. Per Fangraphs, among the 273 hitters with at least 300 plate appearances this year, Taylor’s .592 OPS is the sixth-worst. His career on-base percentage is below .300.
That low offensive ceiling is why the Mets acquired Mullins at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles, but it hasn’t worked. Mullins has a .577 OPS in 138 plate appearances since coming to Queens. The Mets have tried to add some thump to the position by putting infielder Jeff McNeil in center, and Tuesday night Brandon Nimmo started in center for the first time this season. However, neither are center fielders, and they don’t provide the defensive capabilities that Taylor does.
Taylor spent three weeks on the injured list because of a left hamstring strain. In 109 games this year, he’s hit .218 with two homers and 25 RBI.
The Mets designated Siri for assignment to clear roster space.
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